Earlier before...
Jack froze at the doorway.
His mother was sitting on the couch, gently feeding a young man his age, while his father stood beside them, smiling warmly as he wiped cookie crumbs from the boy's mouth with a handkerchief.
Jack stared. His chest tightened with something between jealousy and surprise.
Lisa noticed him pausing and followed his gaze. She understood immediately and suppressed a grin. Ignoring the scene, she marched into the living room.
"Look who I brought back home!" she announced loudly.
"Ta-da!" she added, tossing her hands into the air like a magician revealing a trick.
Everyone turned toward the door. Gasps, laughter, and excited chatter filled the room. Everyone was happy to see the surprise—
Except the surprise himself.
Jack forced a tight smile and opened his arms, stepping forward. Everyone rushed toward him, surrounding him with hugs and laughter.
Then it was the young man's turn.
He stepped forward, hands clasped politely in front of him. He was tall, relaxed, and neatly dressed, with a friendly smile that didn't try too hard. Jack immediately sensed he was someone who could hold his own.
"I'm… uh…" the young man began, offering a handshake. "**Kai Jones—that's my full, legal name. But everyone calls me Hume, so please, call me that.**"
Jack blinked and shook his hand.
"Oh," he said flatly. "I didn't know you were here. Good to see you too. I hope they didn't say too much about me."
Hume chuckled softly, unbothered. "Lisa might have, maybe a little. But don't worry, mostly the good stuff."
Lisa groaned quietly behind him, trying not to laugh.
Jack raised an eyebrow. "So… do you have any injuries or anything?"
"Nope," Hume replied, still smiling.
Jack gestured toward the earlier scene with a frown. "Then why were my parents feeding and cleaning you?"
Hume scratched the back of his head, clearly a little awkward. "They… insisted."
Jack muttered under his breath, "Love snatcher."
Everyone heard him. After a second of stunned silence, laughter erupted across the room. Jack's face twitched in embarrassment.
Lay chuckled, wiping tears from his eyes. "Alright, Mom—enough teasing already."
Lisa finally stepped in. "We planned it! We wanted to see your reaction."
Jack exhaled slowly, relief washing over him. "Oh… okay. That clears up the two questions I didn't ask."
*Good. No open relationship. No parental feeding condition. Just… Hume being Hume.*
Perfect! Here's a **fully polished, novel-style Chapter 3** with your clarification about Hume/Kai, smoother dialogue, humor, and subtle hints of his protective/bromance potential. I've also kept the family dynamics lively and Jack's internal thoughts clear.
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## **Chapter 3 – Family, Gifts, and Hume**
Jack froze at the doorway.
His mother sat on the couch, gently feeding a boy his age, while his father stood beside them, smiling warmly as he wiped cookie crumbs from the boy's mouth with a handkerchief.
Jack blinked. *Wait… what?*
A stab of jealousy—or maybe just surprise—made his chest tighten.
Lisa noticed him pausing and followed his gaze. She suppressed a grin. *Ah, he's seeing exactly what we planned…* Ignoring the scene entirely, she marched into the living room.
"Look who I brought back home!" she announced loudly.
"Ta-da!" she added, tossing her hands into the air like a magician revealing a trick.
Everyone turned to the door. Gasps, laughter, and excited chatter filled the room. Everyone was thrilled to see the surprise—
Except the surprise himself.
Jack forced a tight smile and opened his arms, stepping forward. Everyone rushed toward him, enveloping him in hugs and laughter. For a moment, he felt genuinely happy. Warmth, noise, familiarity—it all washed over him.
Then it was the young man's turn.
He stepped forward with a calm, polite posture. Tall, casually dressed, friendly smile—he didn't try too hard, but he had a natural confidence that made Jack slightly uneasy.
"I'm… uh…" the young man began, extending his hand.
"**Kai Jones—that's my full, legal name. But everyone calls me Hume, so please, call me that.**"
Jack blinked, then shook his hand.
"Oh," he said flatly, "I didn't know you were here. Good to see you too. I hope they didn't say too much about me."
Hume chuckled softly. "Lisa might have mentioned a few things… mostly the good stuff."
Lisa groaned quietly behind him, trying not to laugh.
Jack narrowed his eyes. "So… do you have any injuries or anything?"
"Nope," Hume replied, still smiling warmly.
Jack gestured toward the scene with a frown. "Then why were my parents feeding and cleaning you?"
Hume scratched the back of his head, clearly awkward. "They… insisted."
Jack muttered under his breath, "Love snatcher."
Everyone heard him. After a second of stunned silence, laughter erupted across the room. Jack's face twitched in embarrassment.
Lay chuckled, wiping tears from his eyes. "Alright, Mom—enough teasing already."
Lisa stepped in, laughing. "We planned it! We wanted to see your reaction."
Jack exhaled slowly, relief washing over him. "Oh… okay. That clears up the two questions I didn't ask."
*Good. No open relationship. No parental feeding condition. Just… Hume being Hume.*
.....
Even in the chaos, Jack noticed Hume's small gestures: a steady, calm presence, always aware of Jack's mood. Hume didn't hover, didn't compete—he simply adjusted. Subtle.
After the laughter died down, they gathered around the dining table. Stories, jokes, and updates flowed naturally. Jack shared tales of his trip to Japan and the pictures he'd taken, making everyone marvel.
Later, he handed out souvenirs, each carefully chosen to match the recipient. His mother cried—again—but this time with happiness.
Finally, they settled in the living room to watch something together—a rare family movie night. Debate erupted immediately.
Horror for the men. Romance for the women. Action for the boys.
"Jack, you decide," Lay said, smiling.
Jack grinned. "Something with a little bit of everything, I guess."
He chose a series called **Ultimate Note**, a mix of mystery, action, and some romance. As he reached for the remote to connect to the internet…
The TV suddenly switched on by itself. A serious news anchor appeared.
"—We interrupt this program for an important national announcement—"
Jack froze. Something inside him stirred—a deep, uneasy pulse that he couldn't explain. Whatever the news was about, it felt… *personal.*